A Smile as Bright as the Sun
by ObsessionIsMe
Summary: Chris introduces two new players to the game and it creates a whole new playing field. Chris has a newly found secret pastime that is slowly but surely going to drive him insane. But does he really mind? ChrisxOC.
1. Beginnings

**Hey guys. Okay im taking the story and completely redueing the format so that its just one big long story instead of a bunch on oneshots. I found that it helped it flow a lot better. All the chapters are going to be reupdated with added authors notes.**

Disclaimer: me no own total drama island. :-(

**On to the story!**

**Beginnings**

The campers were stationed on the Dock of Shame having just arrived and been introduced by Chris. "Campers, I know that we originally said there would only be 22 of you but we got these two other auditions and just couldn't turn them away. So, now welcome two more teammates."

A yacht pulled up at the dock and a girl stepped off. To be blunt she was the perfect example of a Snooty cheerleader with an attitude.

"Everyone, this is Christine." Chris introduced the girl as Christine beamed at chris. "Hi Chris." The girl was blonde and her hair was pulled up sloppily on her head in a spiky bun like most cheerleaders do. She wore a tight pink tank top with black capris. Sun glasses sat on the top of her head and makeup adorned her face to the point that it looked like she was made of plastic.

"It's so great to meet you, Chris. Can't wait to get to know you better." Christine said batting her eyelashes and strutting over to him.

"Okay, whatever. Moving on." Another boat pulled up to the dock.

The girl that got off was medium height and looked about 15 or 16 to the campers on the dock. She had long dark hair and silver eyes. The brightest and friendliest of smiles was on her face. One that made her easy to approach and marked her with childish innocents.

"Hey, I'm Ara. Nice to meet you all." Chris looked at Ara and smirked like he knew something the campers didn't. "Welcome to Camp Wawanakwa." He greeted, so much more nicely than how he had to Christine.

"Thanks." She went over to stand with the rest of the campers, choosing a spot next to Lashawna and Izzy.

"Okay, camper. Move your junk off the dock and then arrange yourselves for a group photo. Move campers, move!"

Chris went and jumped into a chopper who was hovering in the air.

The campers arranged themselves on the dock. Ara was sitting at the very end leaning back against Lashawna, her bright smile still in place.

"Say Wawanakwa." At the moment the camera clicked the dock began to shake and gave way, sending the campers into the water.

Chris burst into laughter as the campers surfaced sputtering and irritated. He was holding his sides and hanging onto the door to keep from falling out as many of the teens gave his some rather dirty looks. As his fit was coming down to a mild chuckle he looked over to the shore to see the girl, Ara, sitting on the beach. There was a look of shock on her face as she stared at where the dock had once stood. Chris was surprised that she had managed to make it to the shore in time before falling into the water.

Chris got out of the chopper as the ladder touched down on the ground. He walked over to where Ara was sitting. "Nice reflexes." He commented.

"Thank you. Good thing you weren't on the dock. You would be sopping right now." Her smile returned and she was beaming at him. "Will come help me pull them out of the water, please?"

She had asked it so sweetly and honestly, like she really expected him to help. Ara was already moving over to the water to help Lashawna out. Chris was tempted to push her into the lake so all his campers would be thoroughly soaked but opted to cut her a break. He went over and stood next to her as she pulled others out of the water.

The last one was a boy who was rather large and it seemed that Ara was having a bit of trouble with him. She looked over at Chris expectantly and he signed but came over to offer his hand to the boy, careful not to get wet.

Owen the one still in the water gave an enormous tug and hauled himself out of the water, but in doing so he accidentally sent his aides careering into the water headfirst. Having not really noticed the big boy went to stand with the other campers who were now bursting into giggles.

Under the water, Ara opened her eyes to see Chris right in front of her, his arms flailing to reach the surface. He looked down and saw Ara looking up at him through the water. He reached down his hand and she took it, together they swam up to the surface. Bursting free of the water the two took in gulps of air. Chris opted to send a glare Owen's way, but Ara was quietly giggling beside him. She thought it was quite funny how the both of them had fallen into the water and gotten as wet as the others.

Hearing Ara's laughter, Chris looked over and gave her a surprised look. She just shrugged and swam over to the bank as he followed behind. Even thought the bank was about a foot and a half over both of their heads with nothing for her feet to plant on, Ara was able to hoist herself cleanly out of the water. Once out she turned around and helped Maclean out, who stood up and thanked her.

"Well, now that were all thoroughly soaked," he started while sending another glare in Owen's direction, "Let's get down to business. I will be dividing you into teams. Now listen closely cause I'm only going to say this once." Chris was now more than ready for some dry clothes and a shower. So, he was going to get this part over with quickly. "If I call your name come and stand on my left. Heather, Lindsey, Lashawna, Gwen, Trent, Owen, Izzy, Noah, Cody, Justin, Beth, and Ara. You guys are the Screaming gophers, here's your flag. You other guys are the Killer Bass. Bass boys, your cabin is over there. Bass girls there, Gopher girls you're over there, and the last cabin is for the Gopher guys." Chris pointed to four building a bit a ways away from the lake in respective order that he called out the assignments.

"Go put your stuff away and change into your swimsuit. Your water fun is only beginning. First challenge is in an hour."

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**So what did you think? i really appreciate reviews. they make me extremely happy.**


	2. Pools

**Okay. this is by far my favorite chapter of the whole story so far. *ive written a bunch of the chapters just havent typed them yet. :P* Hopefully this came out how i thought it up. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: me no own total drama island. :-(**

**Pools**

Ara stood with the other campers looking at a big truck that had just backed up out of the lake and was stocked full of different kinds of food.

"Head Chef, called it!" Heather said, quickly securing herself as the leader. Since the time she had arrived here Ara had found that of all her teammates, Heather was the only one she really was uncomfortable with. Lindsey and Beth may follow her around like servants, but they were still nice. Gwen had kept her distance but was still quite more welcoming then the queen bee who had targeted Ara with rudeness from Day1. She never called Ara by her real name for starters, instead she opted for the ever popular innocent. The others sometimes teased her with the name but it was all in good humor. Heather and the other girl Christine who had dubbed her innocent spat the name like an insult. But Ara had paid no mind and instead listened to what they had to say.

The boys on her team had been friendly. Owen was like a walking house of fun with energy to spare, making him a great person to be around. Trent was just mellow but not cold. All the other boys were gone, so Ara had not really clicked with them.

Lashawna was by far the best friend she had made on the island. They helped each other and talked together for hours. Laughing about the crazy antics of the other on the island, they lounged together on the beach by the lake.

Heather had somehow acquired a crisp white apron and a clipboard. She was telling everyone on the team to retrieve something from the truck. Patiently, Ara waited for Heather to tell her what to get. But heather finished her list and then began to walk away.

"Is there anything you want me to get, heather?" Ara asked.

"Oh innocent, yeah, we like have all the positions covered, so I need you to do something special for me. We're doing like a tribal/tropical dinner so I need you to go find me some sea shells. Okay?" she asked in her sickly sweet voice that she reserved for when she wanted someone to do something for her.

Ara put on her smile and agreed to go find some shells. Heather and the others went off to the kitchens to cook. Now don't get her wrong. Ara was not blindly following heather like Beth and Lindsey. She only did what she asked to avoid conflict. If heather ever got to outrageous with her demands Ara would refuse. But for now for the sake of peace, she was just going to grit her teeth and bear it.

****break***XD**

Chris had seen the campers to the kitchens and now he had 3 hours to kill before the taste test. He was now beginning to regret making himself the taster. There was no telling what those crazy teens would feed him. They might even end up killing him, judging by the amount of skills they had demonstrated so far.

He walked over to the dock and looked up and down the beach, considering doing a bit of sunbathing. A little ways off there seemed to be someone heading farther away from the camp. Curious, he walked off the dock and began to follow.

Soon the person turned up into the woods and disappeared from Chris' view. He decided to cut into the woods and sneak up on them from the side. Chris walked until he got to the edge of the woods where they opened up to the river that emptied into the lake. This part of the river was a series of rapids, which emptied into a deep pool. The whole scene was like a picture.

Then Chris' eyes widened as he saw who the runaway was. It was Ara. She was standing by the pool and peering into the water, as if she was searching for something under the surface.

Then her smile broadened and her eyes lit up like she had discovered what she was looking for. Chris continued to watch as she took off her hoodie, and then untied here sash. Then much to his surprise she took off her shirt and began to shimmy out of her jeans.

Chris raked his eyes over Ara's newly revealed apparel. She was wearing a white wrap around her chest that showed off her flat stomach and tone arms. She had on a pair of skin tight white shorts and her sash turned out to be a wrap around belt that had two pieces of cloth, one hanging down the front of her legs and the other down the back. Everything about the girl screamed agility and grace. He outer clothes had done an excellent job of hiding her excellent figure.

Once she laid her clothes down neatly on a rock she jumped into the water. Ara resurfaced flinging her hair back, a big smile on her face. Then she dived back under the water, disappearing under the surface.

Chris came out from his hiding place and walked over to the water's edge, curiosity back in place after his break in concentration, caused by Ara's dress down.

******

Ara dove for under the water. Heather wanted shells. She knew there'd be shells in the river and the best place to look was at the end of rapids in the calm pools. And as she reached the sandy floor, little colorful dots caught her eyes. She quickly scooped up a handful and swam towards the shore.

Ara came out of the water blurry-eyed so she sat the shells down and rubbed the water out of her vision. As soon as it was clear she gasped in shock and fell backwards into the water. She was no longer alone. Chris Maclean was sitting on the bank watching her, his smirk firmly in place. "Afternoon." He said simply, only a hint of his amusement showing in his voice.

Ara only ducked further under the water, going in all the way up to her nose so that she could breath. His smirk turned to a smile as he chuckled at her antics. "Nice day for a swim, isn't it." He gestured toward the water. Ara only nodded. The full brunt of embarrassment catching up with her, she realized that he could have been there for any length of time. Even long enough to see her change.

Now with her face turning scarlet she looked away from Chris and quietly asked, "Why are you here?"

"I believe the better question is why are you here. Is there not a challenge going on back at camp?" Chris asked in a superior tone inwardly he cheered. It was that adorable blush on her face. Now he could see that it spread all the way down to her shoulders turning her flawless skin a dusty pink. 'Wonder if her skin is as soft as it looks.' Chris thought to himself and smirked.

Ara noticed his eyes roaming over her and trying to break his concentration, spoke up more loudly, "Heather wanted some decoration for your dinner, so she sent me out to find some shells. I came out here to get them."

"Ah." He seemed satisfied with the answer, and leaned back on his hands. "It's such I nice day I think I'll do some sunbathing before I head back. Carry on." Ara inwardly groaned. He seemed like he wasn't going anywhere for a while.

She nodded his hesitantly, but then he reached for the buttons on his shirt beginning to undo them. Once his blue shirt was gone he got rid of the white undershirt as well. Then he lay back on his back with his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

Ara just sat and stared for a moment, to stunned to move. He was very well built and she was having a difficult time taking her eyes away. Something brushed suddenly against her leg, most likely a fish, breaking her out of her hazy state. She returned to her task at hand, diving to the bottom and retrieving more shells. Every time she resurfaced, she would check to make sure Chris hadn't moved.

Eventually she had a nice pile of glittering objects on the shore and decided it would be enough to please Heather. Ara swam to the edge of the water and peered at Chris. He hadn't moved since he had lain back and that had been 45 minutes ago. So she assumed he was asleep.

Quietly, so not to disturb him she climbed out of the river. Ara went over to the rock where she had left her clothes only to discover they weren't there. Looking around frantically, she finally spotted them and groaned. Chris had taken them and place her clothes under his head. Now she would have to wake him up if she wanted her clothes back.

Shyly she approached him and peered down. He did seem sound asleep but she waited a few moments to see if he would stir. Then gently she tapped his with her foot. He cracked an eye open, and smirked. "Hmmm"

"May I have my clothes back please?" she asked with her hands behind her back.

He only smiled. "I don't know. I kinda like you in those better." Ara's eyes widened and she quickly wrapped an arm around herself, blush returning full force. Too easy, Chris thought.

Suddenly her smile returned with a mischievous gleam. "Well okay then Chris, although I must also compliment you on your choice of attire." She said gesturing to his bear chest.

Chris looked down and remembered that he had taken his shirt off earlier. Looking beside him, he found that it was no longer there.

"How about a trade?" she suggested, smirking and pulling his shirt out from behind her back. His eyebrows shot up in surprise for a moment and then he returned the smirk. Chris had always made it a point to never take his shirt off while on camera. He had even clearly stated it in some interview he had done. Now he couldn't go back to the other campers without getting his shirt back. Advantage: Ara.

Chris stood up, Ara's clothes in hand and moved to stand directly in front of her. This seemed to fluster the girl a bit but she still clutched tightly to his shirt, her eyes daring him to make a grab for it.

"Fine, a trade." He said holding out Ara's clothes. She nodded and held out his shirt. Each took hold of their articles, but apparently Chris meant to double cross her, giving a tug causing her to stumble forward. She crashed into Chris, who had intended to catch her, but as he took as step back to brace himself, something tripped him and he too went falling.

Ara landed hard against Chris' chest, who let out a sound of pain at the impact. She lifted her head slowly and tensed at seeing Chris smirking up at her. "Well, that didn't go as intended." The tone in his voice showed how amusing he thought the situation was.

Now Ara's face was blood red. Quickly she climbed off of Chris, grabbed her clothes and ran off into the woods. Shells forgotten on the shore.

Chris sat up laughing quietly to himself. That hadn't gone exactly as he had planned, but the outcome was pleasing none the less. Looking at his watch he found that the campers were an hour and a half into the challenge. He should head back and check on their progress. He got up, put on his shirt, and started towards camp.

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**there we go. so comments, opinions, questions, general chitchat about nothing in particular...etc. review are lovely! but please no flames if you dont like it i just really dont want to know.**

_/*$LayLay$*/_


	3. Dinner

**Yay! next chapter. this one is not one of my favs but it had to be done. will type the next chapter as soon as i can. with summer around the corner and no governers school. i have all the time in the world.**

**Disclaimer: me no own total drama island. :-(**

**Dinner**

Ara hadn't even bothered to put her clothes on as she raced towards camp. Her number one priority was putting as much distance between herself and Chris as was humanly possible. Careful to avoid all the cameras surrounding the camp Ara climbed into the back window of the washrooms. A hot shower felt extremely relaxing on her taunt muscles from all the diving she had done at the pool and then the sprint she had just completed. Once she felt as though all the river water had been washed away she donned her dry clothes and returned to the kitchens.

Having run off in a hurry Ara had completely forgotten about Heather's shells. But there was nothing she could do now because frankly there was no way she was going back for them. Heather would just have to make do without them. But as Ara reached the kitchens she found that heather had gone strangely missing so she was spared the fires of her fury.

*Insert what occurs in episode here :-P*

"You guys might want to burn some sage to get rid of any lingering curse vibes."Chris said with a smile.

"Do you think Chef will give us any?" Lashawna asked, hopefully.

"Nope." He replied grinning like a madman. "Oh, and you guys are also on your own for food tonight. Good luck!" He walked away, leaving the campers irritated and hungry. Heather, of course, was the first to voice her opinion of the situation, whining about how she was on a team of losers and now they were going to starve.

Ara just shook her head at the girl and left the campfire ring, heading in the direction of the Mess Hall. Looking into the kitchen she saw Chef rushing around preparing food. It must have been for the winners since they were promised a meal under the stars to their choosing.

Chris walked up behind Ara with her noticing. When he spoke the close proximity of his voice caused her to jump in fright. "Hey, Chef. Got any grub, Dude?"

"Do I look like I have time to fix you any food? These stupid kids all decided to get something different. Can ya wait just a darn minute." He all but yelled while still thundering around the kitchen.

Hoping to settle the matter, Ara spoke up, "Chef, if you wouldn't mind, I could fix Chris something to eat. I'm kind of hungry myself."

Chef looked at her in shock. Apparently, the thought of a teen in his kitchen was too much to bear. Quickly, Ara put his spinning mind at ease. "I'm pretty experienced as a cook and I can even help you with the other food if you like."

Chef sighed in defeat as Chris nodded energetically at the prospect of food. "Fine, but if you catch my kitchen on fire, I will personally skin you alive." He threatened tossing her an apron from a drawer.

Ara smiled and nodded while catching the garment. After securing it around her waist she went to the sink to wash her hands, and then tied back her hair with her white hair ribbon that she kept wrapped around her wrist.

Moving over to the cabinets she pulled out the basic things she would need. Looking in the fridge she discovered a whole plate of stakes. Before pulling those out she asked Chef if her would be using them but Chef said it would be fine for her to cook them. Bringing them back to the counter along with marinade and butter, Ara began her preparation of the meal.

Soon Chef was rushing in and out of the kitchen, carrying plates of food to the waiting campers. As the last meal was delivered he collapsed at his table next to Chris who was munching on some chips as he waited for his meal.

"Now I got to fix myself somethin to eat. Man, I never thought I'd say this but I just don't wonna cook." Chef exclaimed as his stomach rumbled.

"That's Okay, Chef."Ara said as she put the last steak on the plate. "I made enough for you too. I figured you wouldn't have time to make something for yourself. I hope you don't mind."

"Really?" he looked at her quizzically then ate the plates of food that she was bringing to the table. The meal consisted of a main course of steak along with baked potatoes, a salad, biscuits, and a kind of casserole. It all smelled delicious to Chris and Chef.

Fixing his plate, Chris cut off a bit of steak. It tasted absolutely heavenly. Chef also seemed to love it. "This is some good cuisine." He complimented, making Ara's smile beam brightly on her face.

About that time Christine walked into the kitchen. "Hey, Chef, we need refills on our drinks, pronto." She said in an impatient voice. But stopped dead in her tracks as she saw Chris sitting at the table with Chef and Ara. She immediately switched gears. "Hi Chris." She said sweetly.

"Hey." He said without giving much attention to the girl as he continued to eat. Turning to Ara he offered his on bit of praise on her cooking. "This IS excellent. Absolutely delicious."

Ara blushed at the lavish praise while Christine fumed at Chris brushing her aside. After sending a glare in Ara's direction she left the kitchen in a huff.

Chris laughed along with Chef at the girl's snooty behavior while Ara frowned, looking at the spot where Christine had stood moments before. The glare was unexpected and a bit worrisome since Ara had no idea of the intention of its owner. But there was nothing to do about it now, and she decided to just enjoy the rest of her meal.

The three of them all sat and chatted late into the night over cups of coffee. Speaking of things going on in the world at the time like old adult friends. Eventually around one or so Chef decided to take his leave to bed. Ara followed his example, saying she should be off as well.

Standing up she bid Chris a goodnight.

"Ara." He said, getting up. "Thanks, again for the meal." Chris leaned down and pecked her on the cheek. Smiling he left the Mess Hall, content with the small kiss for the moment.

Ara smiled after Chris left, and then she headed toward her cabin, thinking all the way about one Chris Maclean.

**thoughts, comments, and chitchat. reviews are love.**

_/*$LayLay$*/_

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	4. The Look Part 1

Well it has been a while, hasn't it? I am very sorry to all those following the story. But now that I am on vacation I have more time to type. In other words updates are slow because life is fast.

Anywho, here is the next chappie. Yay!

Disclaimer: no own TDI, and it's lovely Chris MacLean but Ara is mine.

**The Look**

The sun was shining brightly down on Camp Wawanakwa. The birds were chirping in the trees and all the little critters were out and about. The water of the lake was calm and warm in the summer heat. In one of the rare occasions on the island, the campers were actually enjoying themselves. Days with no challenges were always a blessing, but today was a bit more relaxing. The sharks had been pulled out of the water and Chris had opted to turn off the cameras so he too could enjoy the sunny weather.

All the girls had changed into their swimsuits and were enjoying a cool swim in the lake. It was funny how the relaxing atmosphere could help them set aside their differences and get along, even if it was for such a brief period in time. Even Heather and Christine had calmed their attitude. Some of the boys had rigged up a volleyball net that they had found in the boathouse and were lazily hitting the ball back and forth. Owen had a Frisbee and was passing it to Trent. Geoff, DJ, Duncan, and Harold were playing volleyball.

Chris had opted to lounge on the beach in a sun chair. A pair of sunglasses shielded his eyes and he had switched his blue shirt/green pants attire for a green pair of swimming trunks.

Lashawna and Ara were swimming near the docks with Bridgett and Gwen. They tread water watching the others and idly talking of things of no particular importance. Ara excused herself after a while and dove down under the water. She looked down at the sandy bottom and saw many tiny white specs of seashells. A blush formed on her face as she thought back to the last time she had seen the shells and how Chris had followed her out to the river.

Chris had occupied Ara's thoughts since then, never leaving her mind at peace for a moment. She wondered about many things like the way he acted and the expressions of his face as that day's events had played out, but most importantly she thought about his kiss. At the time she had marked it as a more extravagant way of saying thank you by Chris and nothing more. Now, remembering back, she thought about the details of his face at the time. There had been a shift from his regular smug expression, as if it had been given as more than a thank you. As if that simple peck on the cheek was just the start of something.

In her reverie Ara had managed to swim far out beyond the others and now her lungs were beginning to strain. Quickly, she swam up for air. Coming out of the water she looked to see that Lashawna had exited the lake onto the dock and was lounging in the sun to dry off. Lashawna saw Ara come up out of the water across the lake and motioned for her to come on back in. Ara took a deep breath and swam back down under the water then made for the dock. Hoisting herself up, Ara gratefully accepted a towel from Lashawna with a thank you.

The boys had all seemed to pause in their actions as the girls got out of the water. Even Chris lifted his sunglasses off of his eyes. He could see the Christine girl trying to flaunt in front of the guys, but Chris was not interested in minors, so he only scanned over most of the girls briefly. Only one managed to hold his eyes. Ara had actually worn a swimsuit today, although this suit was a good as her undergarments. It consisted of a black bikini top with a yinyang sign in the corner and black shorts with another sign on the back right leg. She had pulled her hair back and left on all of her jewelry.

Chris continued to watch as Ara wrapped the towel, given to her by Lashawna, around herself and proceeded to talk with said girl, a smile forming on her lips. How that smile dazzled Chris. He, himself, was told to have a million dollar smile but his was not full of the happiness that Ara put into each one of hers. Her smile made her face light up beautifully and her eyes sparkle like they were made of stars. He even found himself fantasizing about ways to make her smile. It was actually quite easy. A simple hello in the morning brought out her happy grin, while she replied back in greeting.

Then several gasps broke him from his fantasy. He took a look over to see the boys had stopped everything to stare at him. Chris quickly placed a scowl on his face. "What?" he asked sharply.

"Dude, you…uh yeah…" Geoff began but wasn't able to quite voice his thoughts. All the guys looked hesitant to answer the host.

Chris grew impatient with their silence. "Well?"

Duncan sighed and stepped up to the plate since it was obvious everyone else was too chicken to say it. "You had _The Look _on your face, Dude." He deadpanned.

Chris' face suddenly paled and he did a quick take at the girls to see how many understood what Duncan had just said. Some that he expected, like Heather and Christine, obviously knew what the statement entailed. But to his relief, Ara seemed thoroughly puzzled.

Ara leaned over to Lashawna and whispered, "Lashawna what does Duncan mean?" her face was set in innocent curiosity, her eyes wide with the want to know.

Lashawna, trying to put the girl's inquisitive mind at ease, came up with the best explanation she could muster. "Well sugar, it's not really proven, and it's really only a rumor. In plain terms '_The Look' _(insert air quotes here X3) is an expression a guy gets on his face when he's a lookin' at or thinkin' about a girl he really likes. For some reason only another boy can tell if a dude is sportin' it. But odder still is that nobody can copy it, it just happens and the boys just know." Lashawna was still staring at Chris like all the other girls, though the man in question had now purposely looked anywhere but at them.

________

Not knowing what to do with himself and to avoid a rather awkward situation, Chris just put his sunglasses back on, ignoring everyone. And just like that everyone sort of left him be. It was like a dismissal. They knew that even if they asked, Chris would just answer with either sarcasm, scorn, or just plain ignore them to an even higher degree.

The boys had now huddled together on the sand. "Dude, you saw it. I saw it. We all saw it. Chris likes one of the girls." Geoff exclaimed excitedly.

"Ain't that a bit odd? Isn't he a bit old for any of them?" Trent said, worried about which one of the girls Chris had set sights on, hoping beyond hope that it wasn't a certain someone.

"Naw, he's only like twenty or so." Duncan corrected.

"Dudes!" Geoff shouted in revelation, "This could so totally work to our advantage. What if we, like, hooked Chris up with the chick he likes? Then maybe he won't be as harsh with our challenges cause he's too focused on her."

Slowly grins began to creep onto the boys faces that stood in the ring. It was the perfect way to slow their work load. Duncan even saw the possibilities of blackmail in the idea. All the guys agreed with Geoff's theory and they gathered closer to begin forming their master plan.

________

Chris sat up in his chair and peered at the boys who had huddled together. They seemed to be scheming and judging by their excited and sometimes creepy chuckles it was nothing good. Then Owen glanced quickly at Chris, saw him looking, and looked away himself with a smirk of deviousness on his face. Chris knew there was now a very good reason to worry.

The teenage boys soon dispersed and seemed to go back to their previous activities as if nothing had changed. But it had. Chris could since the excitement in the air around the boys and it perplexed him deeply. The event had been a major slip on his part. The only relief to him was that he had switched off the cameras. Although, Chris had seen Lashawna talking to Ara while staring at him and if it was about what he assumed it to be, he was in hot water.

But looking at her now, it seemed that sweet, innocent Ara had not yet put two and two together. He breathed a sigh at the respite he was awarded and went back to tanning, trying to forget the cute look of curiosity on Ara's face.

_______

Ara was now lying out on the dock with Lashawna. The sun dried her swimsuit and warmed her tanned skin. "So, who do you think Chris was daydreaming about?" Lashawna asked lazily from beside Ara.

"I don't know." She said sounding truly clueless. "It was probably someone like Christine or Heather. They're really pretty." Complimenting both of the extremely rude girls, Ara did not even take herself into consideration. Though Lashawna seemed skeptical of her theory.

It felt like ice with a crushing pressure behind it. Cold water swept over both of the girls without warning, destroying all the work the sun had done to dry them. Lashawna sat up straight as a board, an extremely POed expression on her face. Ara wouldn't have been surprised if the girl next to her didn't strangle whoever was responsible for dousing them.

In the water Christine was snickering under her breath. "Opps, sorry girls. Didn't mean to get you wet. My bad." Was their oh so heartfelt apology. She swam over to the dock and crossed her arms up upon the wood resting her chin on them snuggly. "So, Innocent, you were eating with Chris last night. What were you doing exactly?" it wasn't accusing perse, but there really wasn't any other way to interpret that sentence when it came from Christine.

Ara recalled the glare that she had received the previous night. This seemed to be the way she would be getting her answers. Her answering calmly and truthfully seemed most beneficial. "Oh um, well since your team won, chef had to cook for all of you guys. He didn't have time to make Chris anything, so I offered to help."

"Oh, well aren't you little miss helpful? I hope you didn't feed him anything fatty. He is a celebrity and wouldn't it be just horrible if he lost his perfect figure because of your carb-saturated feast." Christine was really trying to get at Ara, but it was just brushed aside. Ara assured Christine to not worry, it was all healthy food.

Christine, a scowl now in place because her baiting had failed, swam off without another word.

"That girl is out to get you, honey. It's written all over her face." Lashawna informed her matter-of-factly.

"No, no. she was just inquiring because she likes Chris a lot. That's all." Ara assured her finally realizing that Christine's glare had derived from jealousy. Though Ara did plan to be weary of Christine from then on.

I had planned to have a whole lot more to this but it was getting to long for my regular chapter length, so I decided to split it up. But no worries there is more ready to be typed and hopefully I will get started right away. Hehe maybe XD.

Reviews are the most lovely things in the world, but no pressure. Just saying what you think so far will sate me although I am sensitive so flames may shatter my small bit of self confidence as a writer so be kind.

-Moony X3!


	5. The Look part 2

OOOOKaay!!! Here we go! I am sooo sorry for the length between updates. But I have been struck with INSPIRATION!! Finally, it's been what since summer sense I have even touched this story?

I did not do much spell check on this chap. So if you spy with your little eyes anything horrendous drop me a line or two and it will be fixed. Thankz!

Ok warnings: there is some drinking in this story and although it is not made clear in the story no minors are drinking. Drinking is legal at eighteen in Canada. I think…

Disclaimer: Total Drama Island; not mine. Chris McLean; not mine. Ara; the only one I actually own.

On with the story!

**The Look (Part 2)**

Walking leisurely toward his cabin, Chris hummed contentedly to himself, nothing much on his mind at the moment. Duncan, who had been relaxing on the steps of the boys' cabin, came over to join him, matching Chris' languid stride.

"Hey dude, what's up?" the teen punk asked in his usual drawl.

"Nuttin much, my man. How are you and the other guys doing? Enjoying your day off?" Chris was in a rather good mode so he decided to be civil.

"Totally man! Hey speaking of the other, me and some of the other dudes were planning on getting together around the campfire tonight after the girls turn in. Wanna join?" Duncan offered.

Chris, having nothing better to do that evening, agreed and the two parted ways.

_________

"Did he take the bait?" Geoff asked as all the boys regrouped behind their cabin.

"Totally. Not suspicious at all." Duncan assured with a smirk. "So did everyone get the stuff?"

Trent held up two boxes of soda that he had just stolen and DJ had gotten the food. Their trip to Chef's kitchen had been crystal smooth, although they were both still a tad winded from how fast they had run away from the place.

"Harold, what about you?" Duncan asked expectantly.

"Uh……Well I think I got the right stuff." He showed Duncan the bottle that he had stolen from Chris' trailer. Duncan smiled and slapped Harold on the back.

"Good job, dude. This will work just fine. Let's get to work." Chuckling evilly, the boys dispersed.

From her perch in a tree outside of camp, Ara watched the boys talk secretly among themselves. It seemed as though they were planning a small party from the looks of it, but one thing was unclear to Ara. Harold had showed the boys a clear glass bottle and Duncan had laughed rather evilly.

"Wonder what there up to? Although, it's none of my business." Ara said quietly to herself, but she was still curious. The boys dispersed and she watch them head to different parts of the camp. There plans nagged at her mind to the point that she began imagining different reasons for their odd behavior.

Ara sighed. She would have to find out what they were doing or it would bother her for the rest of the day. Scoping out the camp, Ara saw Owen heading to the campfire pit. He would be the easiest for Ara to talk to. She jumped the fifteen feet to the ground and landed in a crouch. That was always so much fun for Ara. Straightening up, she brushed the pine needles from her clothes. Then she took off in Owen's direction.

"Hey, Owen!" Ara called cheerily as she ran toward him with a bright smile in place. "Whatcha doin'?"

Owen's face seemed to blanch and his eyes darted around quickly as if he were looking for a place to hide. Then he took off in the direction of the confession cam, at a speed that Ara had never seen him achieve, and locked himself inside.

_______

(Without realizing that Chris had switched off all the monitors for there day off, Owen began to talk.)

"So Duncan threatened me to not tell ANY of the girls about our plan. I have a really big problem with lying. I'm actually quite horrible at it. Trent suggested that I not speak to any of the girls. That way I don't have to lie."

_______

Ara slowed to a halt and tilted her head to the side in confusion. That was some very odd behavior on Owen's part, but then again Owen was a very funny guy.

Ara shrugged to herself. _Oh well. _She would just go find another guy to ask, perhaps DJ.

She tried all day but none of the boys would utter a peep. Defeated, Ara trudged back to her cabin for a shower.

_______

All the guys sat around the fire laughing at the joke Geoff had just told. Duncan then looked at Geoff who looked at DJ who looked at Trent who looked at Harold who looked at Owen. There was a silent communication and they all put the plan into action.

"So Chris, you have a girlfriend back home?" Geoff had a nonchalant approach in his voice. He looked at the host, who looked up from his drink.

Chris' appearance had seemed to have changed. His eyes were quite fuzzy and his cheeks were flushed. He had a goofy smile upon his lips and seemed to be chuckling for no apparent reason. To be quite frank, Chris was undisputedly drunk.

After a few moments he seemed to register that Geoff had asked him a question. "Naw, I don't keep no girl at home. I'm a free *hiccup* man, dude."

"Right, so no strings attached. Man I'm with ya. Leaves ya open to the chicks. Like here, for instance. There's some pretty hot one's, eh Chris?" Duncan asked.

"Totally Brah. Many pretty chickies." Chris drawled on. All the boys tensed a bit. Duncan's next question should achieve their goal.

"Who's your fav?"

"Well, there ain't no contest there. Only one on the island for me. Ara's my girl." He said with a smile.

Many gasps of shock ensured from the boys and the full brunt of what he had just said knocked Chris almost stock sober. "Dudes…What's in this drink?" Chris sniffed his soda. He was surprised he hadn't noticed it before but here was a strong alc enlaced with the sugary carbonated drink. "You spiked my drink." It wasn't a question and it wasn't even said in anger. It was more of a realization. The boys held their breath, waiting for Chris' reaction to finding out he had been tricked.

"That...is Awesome! Dude's, well played. I woulda done it the same way." Chris was all but beaming right now. Sure, he had been tricked, but it was the fact that the boys had been able to actually do it that really impressed him. Not many had pulled one over on Chris McLean.

"So you're not mad." Trent had been a bit reluctant to carry out the plan. It seemed like it could've hurt Chris or even gotten them kicked off the island. But not the man was laughing about it and congratulating them on a job well done.

"Not really." Chris said, still laughing.

"So, Ara? Huh. Isn't she a bit young for you?" Asked Duncan, trying to stay on the original subject.

Chris looked at Duncan a bit strangely for a moment or two. Then understanding hit him. Ignoring Duncan's question he asked one of his own. "How old do you think Ara is?"

The boys pondered a moment, but Geoff spoke up first. "Fifteen, maybe just turned sixteen, maybe."

"Uh huh." Chris said with a growing smile. "You boys agree?"

They all nodded their heads, every one of them confused as to where Chris was heading with his questionnaire.

"Who's the oldest camper on the island?" Another question from Chris.

"I am." Said Duncan. "Just three months to eighteen."

"Righttt. Actually no you're not." Chris said, enjoying every confused minute as the boys tried to piece together what the host was telling them.

"Wait, wait, wait. You're not saying that that little girl is older than me." Duncan seemed almost offended by the very idea.

"Yep." Fully beaming now, Chris answered energetically.

"How much older?" DJ inquired.

"She's almost nineteen."

That caused a few mouths to drop to the floor. Apparently it was unfathomable that the sweet little girl with the big bright smile could be older than them all.

"Well, I'll leave you to ponder on that a bit. I have a bed calling my name and most likely a major hangover to nurse in the morning. Nighty night." Chris informed the still shocked boys. He stood and stretched. Taking a few wobbly steps, he headed off in the direction of his camper.

Confession Cam.

"_I feel very judgmental." –_

"_That was quite a realization." –_

"_I CANNOT believe She is older than me!" –_

"_Woohoo!! Chris has found himself a girl!" –_

"_Wonder if we should tell the girls…then again, Christine might not be too happy." –_

* * *

Yes! Another Chapter! I still got it. I swear I'm gonna finish this just out of pure stubbornness.

Free commission for any TDI story you wish for me to write to who can guess first which boy did which confession. Just label them 1-5 and go in order.

By the way anyone catch the Phenias and Ferb reference. I just love that saying.

Till next chapter,

Moony XD!


	6. The Key

**A/N: Well now my dears, I have finally been struck with inspiration! Thank you ponzi382 for reminding of this lovely little story. I miss it terribly and now I hope with this renewed vigor I will be able to finish it. The characters and writing style may seem a bit shifted but that is to be expected with almost a two year gap in writing…I hope you all don't mind. This is where I believe we enter a more Tish area but nothing to severe, I promise. **

**I do not own TDI sadly still, even with my new found college knowledge the rights are out of my reach :( …**

**Anyway enjoy...  
**

The Key

The campers jumped as an explosion wrecked the early morning silence. Ara, who had been visiting Lashawna at her new camper, stared at the smoking mess of metal her eyes wide. Lashawna turned and saw her brand new place reduced to a burnt out shell and groaned. Ara assisted her with retrieving her luggage and they both hauled it back to camp, smoking from the exposure to the burnt ciders. The campers looked at them both, not at all surprised that Chris had destroyed the luxury that had been bestowed upon Lashawna not but a few days ago. Ara looked at Chris with a slightly disapproving expression and his chipper smile dropped slightly. She hadn't shown her brilliant smile and it saddened him. Then, remembering he had a challenge to conduct he returned to his usual host self.

"Arggg, Ahoy campers…" Chris proceeded to explain the challenge to them and then handed out the clues. Ara listened to the others clues all the while eye her own plank of wood with a curious expression. Most had gotten a challenge against bears, crocodiles and the like. Geoff was even unfortunate enough to have to go diving in the septic tank. Ara did not envy him, poor boy. He would stink for days if he actually attempted the task. Ara's own card showed a clear outline of a familiar figure. It was Chris in his usual stance of hands behind his back, elbows bent, and legs together. There was a symbol of a key where his neck would have been. Ara looked up at Chris but he merely smirked at her knowingly.

"Alright campers, Begin!" he shouted in his very strained pirate accent. Ara cringed at the tone of it. It was so very different then his smooth tenor tone and she could not decide if she would be able to stand hearing him speak like that. However, she would not ask him about it nor compel him to change it. She knew that it was his job to put on an entertaining act for the viewers. If that meant she had to listen to pirate Chris for a day so be it.

The other campers dispersed off into different directions, leaving Ara to stare at Chris with an odd expression on her face. After she made no move to come any closer to him he decided to give her a nudge.

"What's wrong dear? Afraid I'll bite?" he chuckled lightly at his own humor and yet Ara still stared at him with that expression that he couldn't quite place. It was starting to unnerve him and he began to shift on his feet, looking anywhere but at her. "Is there something on my face?" he finally asked breaking under the strain of silence.

Ara seemed to realize that she had zoned out and promptly returned to earth with a small shake of her head. "I'm sorry I was merely thinking about how I am going to relieve you of that key. I could always fight you for it, but I prefer not to use violence unless it is absolutely necessary. I don't suppose you would be compelled to just give me the key?" she asked not sounding very optimistic about his response.

Chris chuckled again and moved behind her to speak lowly in her ear in a drawl that was very far from both his tenor and pirate tones. It was low and challenging. "Sorry darling, but the only way you are getting this key is if you physically remove it from my body." He put a special emphasis on the world physically making Ara blush where she stood frozen.

After a few moments, Ara turned to face Chris and what he saw excited and scared him to no end. Ara was wearing a devilishly sweet smile, one that was meant to frighten the receiver and warn them of dangerous territory ahead. "Well if that is your wish…" she fully turned towards him and held up one finger. Chris looked at her with a weary expression. "You have one minute, sir. I suggest you start running." Her expression darken even more, "Hurry on now."

Chris turned tail and ran sprinting for his campsite and his trailer. He passed a rather touching scene of Trent and Gwen kissing. Even with that apparent doom he was bound to face once Ara caught up to him, he stopped to make a comment on the unknowing couple. After his work as a meddling host was finished he continued on his journey. Once he made it to the safety of his trailer he turned to look for signs of Ara. He was sure it had been over a minute by now, but strangely enough there was no sign that she was following behind him.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, he turned back towards his trailer and almost jumped out of his skin. Ara was sitting casually on the steps of his trailer, elbows resting on her knees, hands holding her face up to look at him with a sickly sweet expression of curiosity.

"You're faster than I thought." She commented not moving from her position. Chris backed away slowly from her looking left and right, trying to decide which would be the more opportune exit. As he looked Ara watched him with amusement. She hoped he would pick left. That led into the forest and she was so very good at chases through the forest. Finally she began to rise and Chris jolted from his decision making and promptly headed left, off towards the forest. Ara smiled wickedly.

Now it might seem that Ara had become quite evil during this challenge, which was quite understandable. Ara was usually good-natured and kind to everyone. But she loved nothing more than a good old fashion challenge. It got her blood pumping and her mind racing with the thoughts of winning her desired prize. Ara did not like very much to lose. And she was still a bit irked at Chris for destroying Lashawna's camper. The challenge gave her a way to exact her revenge without creating conflict between her and Chris. The was a game and she was determined to beat him.

Chris kept up a pretty good pace for a while and Ara enjoyed keeping just far enough behind that he wasn't inclined to believe he was safe or think that he was on the verge of losing. They raced through the trees. Ara shouted out at him, "Isn't this invigorating? I just love a jaunt through the forest!" Ara in a burst of energy flew ahead of Chris, gracefully twisting around and coming to a halt. However, Chris was nowhere near as coordinated and he did not stop in time to avoid crashing into her. Ara let out a squeak of surprise as Chris barreled into her knocking them both to the ground. They tumbled a few paces further until they finally came to rest with Chris' weight settled firmly over Ara.

She gave a slight moan of pain where he was slightly suffocating her and Chris quickly gained his bearing enough to raise himself up onto his arms. Ara stared up at him in shock for a few moments before she burst into fits of laughter that were so contagious that Chris just had to join her. He supported his weight on his elbows as he calmed down from laughing and finally seemed to realize the compromising position they were in. Ara must have noticed it as well because she was quickly turning that beautiful shade of pink that Chris loved so much.

Ara brought her hands up to rest on his chest attempting to create a barrier between them. However, all she felt was the heat of Chris' skin from beneath his pirate shirt where he had been running and the feeling melted into her hands. Chris seemed to be struggling with himself as to what he would do next. Ara touching him was extremely distracting from his thought process. Just as he decided that it would be very good for his health if he removed himself from her, Ara wrapped her fingers into his shirt and tugged him down to her slightly so she could speak in his ear, just like he had done early. He voice was crisp and light as she teased him, "You are very clumsy. I win."

Before Chris could contemplate what she was planning, Ara had wrapped her legs around his middle and promptly threw him onto his back. She smirked down at him as he stared indignantly at her. "So you've reverse our position. That doesn't mean that you have won." He said matter-of-factly.

Ara merely beamed her lovely smile down at him and dangled a key before his eyes. Ara was not one to gloat and she was not going to start now. She would let Chris keep some of his dignity and not rub it in his face. She was about to remove herself from atop him with Lashawna entered the clearing and gasped. Ara looked up at her and smiled. "Look Lashawna, I got my key." Ara displayed the key happily forgetting that she was actually straddling Chris at the moment in her glee.

Lashawna looked at Ara for a moment and then shook her head. Lashawna realized that Ara wasn't even aware of what it looked like she and Chris had been doing. Deciding not to sour the girl's infectious happy mode, Lashawna merely motioned her over. Ara removed herself swiftly from the stunned Chris who did not move from the forest floor. Lashawna informed her of the nasty events that had taken place while she had been occupied with Chris. Ara agreed that it was a horrible thing that had occurred and Lashawna had her full support.

Ara gave a wave to Chris and skipped off amongst the trees. After she was out of sight, Lashawna went over to where Chris was still seemingly glued to the ground and glared down at him. "You better not be playin' no mind games with that innocent girl. She is much too sweet for your sadistic corruption. Oh.." Lashawna swiftly booted him in the side with her foot. "That's for destroying my precious trailer." With that she followed Ara on the way back towards camp.

Chris sat up holding his side and grinning like an idiot. He had spent the entire afternoon completely focused on Ara and the ending had been so very amusing. He brushed himself off and headed back towards camp as well, a spring in his step. He had discovered that below her completely sweet exterior, Ara had a devious side. He only needed to tap into it the correct way. It was apparent that Ara loved a good challenge and he was more than willing to fuel her enjoyment.

The campers grumbled and complained at their prized each one holding a seemingly useless piece of junk, all the while glowering at Heather. Even Ara gave a dissatisfied frown as Heather waved the invincibility card in their faces. Ara would have much rather seen Heather go then Trent, even if he had cheated, Ara had the sneaking suspicion that something was not right. Her suspicions were later confirmed when the truth was revealed to everyone of Heather's deception. After the ceremony was completed and Trent was whisked away from the saddened campers, except for Heather, who made a snide comment and left.

Ara strolled leisurely towards her cabin, her treasure clutched in one hand from earlier. It was a simple card of paper with a scrawl of a sentence written on it and a seashell secured to it. Ara read the script again. _Free Gift_. Ara contemplated what Chris meant by his cryptic message. So focused was she on her thoughts that she did not see the solid form that stood in her path and she swiftly slammed into it.

Chris chuckled at her, "Distracted?" he asked not hiding his amused smirk from her. But there was something else in his expression, something anxious. Ara stared at him curiously.

"What do you mean by 'Free Gift'? What is my prize?" she asked completely at a loss as to what kind of gift that Chris would think to give her that couldn't be contained within a treasure chest.

He grinned down at her and slowly raised a hand to wrap around her waist and draw her closer to him. The card dropped from her hand as Ara stared up unblinkingly at Chris. Slowly, as if he wanted to make sure she had time to stop him if she had wished, he bent down and softly pressed his lips to hers and a gentle sweet kiss. It ended much to quickly though and Chris released her and started towards his camp wishing her goodnight.

Ara stood on wobbly legs staring after Chris, before she burst into a fit of excited giggles. If had been the sweetest kiss she had ever received and it left her breathless and light headed. A new skip in her step she headed back to the cabins to relate to Lashawna her wondrous treasure.

Duncan, Owen, Geoff, and DJ looked after the retreating girl and then grinned at each other. There suggestion to Chris had worked like a charm. Apparently things had gone well during their game of cat and mouse and this pleased the boys. It brought them one step closer to a more sedate and less sadistic Chris. The congratulated each other on a job well done and retreated into their cabins.

Wawanakwa lay still except for the high pitch screaming of Heather that had all the campers grinning in their warm beds.

**And there we go the next installment goodness it's like 3 am, but I just couldn't stop. Hope you enjoyed Please no flames but reviews are most definitely welcome. (Also, I am considering making this story M rated and trying my hand at some citrus, which I have never done before. Let me know your thoughts please!)**

***LayLay***


	7. The Hidden

Oh My God...IS THIS AN UPDATE!? Yes, yes it is. Sorry for the long long LONG wait. I was struck by inspiration and hit a lull in my 18 credit college schedule and 2 jobs :) So there was time for fanfiction. Okay enough talk. Here it is!

The Hidden

Ara found herself staring out into the darkness of her cabin as everyone slumbered peacefully around her. Her lips tingled as she recalled Chris' sweet kiss from earlier. She thought of the strength of his arm as he had pulled her towards him and the intensity of his eyes as they had stared down at her with something akin to longing. Then, the softness of his lips as they had touched hers. The recalling of the event made her blush and turn over in her bed to stare out the lone window at the back of the cabin.

She then began to ponder on the challenge of that day and how boldly she had behaved in front of Chris. She had actually straddled him, met his advances, and even teased him a little. It was so unlike her usual self that it frightened her. She was usually a very conserved person, choosing to meet others at an arms length, but Chris peaked her curiosity to such a degree that she simply could not refuse to rise to meet his challenge. He was unlike any man she had ever met and she had to admit that it unsettled her how much she had wanted to melt into that kiss and never leave it. She knew that if she allowed him than Chris would continue to taunt and tease her with his borderline sadistic antics.

Well she was going to do something about it because while Ara was a generally non-confrontational person, she was determined to show Chris that she was not as innocent as she seemed.

The girls were rudely awoken the next morning to a shouting match between Lashawna and Heather. Ara groaned and rolled over in her sleep. With all of her thinking last night she had not even managed to drift off until around 3 in the morning and to tell the truth she was exhausted. She closed her eyes tightly against the high pitched insults that flew through the air in the cabin. When it continued on strongly, Ara sat up in bed and glared down at the two girls standing toe to toe in the center of the room. Apparently Heather was not at all pleased that Lashawna had redirected the water in her shower last night, claiming that it would take her weeks to wash the stench out of her hair. Lashawna commented that the smell was an improvement. Heather appears to be leaning towards making this a physical confrontation and Lashawna was not far behind her. Ara sighed and jumped down from the bunk to land rather softly next to Lashawna. Her loose sleep pants and shirt were disheveled from all of her tossing and turning in her sleep last night, but Ara still stared Heather down with a calm expression, showing her support for Lashawna.

The room instantly shifted Lindsey and Christine moving to stand behind Heather, Gwen gravitating towards Lashawna. Izzy and Bridget appeared to be absent from the room so neither side was able to draw on more support. Heather swiftly sized up the girls across from her lingering on the murderous expressions on Lashawna and Gwen and smirking at the calm face of Ara.

"Oh how cute, Goth girl and Innocent to the rescue. Really Ara, do you honestly think you even contribute to this at all. You never even stand up for yourself. You're a push over." Heather remarked superiorly. Ara merely continued to stare at Heather only her expression shifted slightly to one that was still calm yet held those undertones of someone who was not pleased with the person before them. Heather, seeing that her baiting was not working with any of the girls she sighed dramatically with one of her famous whatever and exited the cabin with Lindsey and Christine.

Ara relaxed, slackening her tense muscles and then stretched them when they complained about being tensed so soon from being woken up. Lashawna looked at her with a smile, thanking her for the support and Ara smiled back brilliantly, letting Lashawna know that she would always support her.

Now fully awake with no hope of actually going back to sleep for a few more hours Ara ventured out into the crisp morning not bothering to change out of her sleep clothes. If she knew the boys, none of them would even think to wake up this early on their free day. It just wasn't done. Ara retreated into the forest casually strolling alone, her bare feet squishing into the damp ground. Without realizing it her feet had carried her in the direction of Chris' trailer. Nothing stirred in the clearing around the production campsite and obviously the crew had decided to take the free day to sleep in as well. Ara felt a twinge of envy for those who had not been rudely awakened this morning and allowed to sleep the morning away in their warm beds.

Ara slowly crept up to Chris' trailer, a brilliant plan forming in her mind. It was so wonderful of Chris to wake them up so early on challenge days, and so loudly too. She may as well return the favor to him. Ara opened the door to his trailer slowly, in case it creaked and alerted Chris. Inside Ara saw that the trailer was divided into two parts, a living area with a kitchenette and the other a sleeping area. Ara was currently in the living area. She crept over to the kitchenette and searched quietly through the cabinets till she found what she was looking for. Ara grinned broadly gently pulling her prize from a bottom shelf and then going through the drawers for her next item. Her smile became impossibly wider. This was going to be fun.

Chris's bedroom door was slightly ajar and Ara could hear gentle snoring coming from within. Without hesitation Ara threw open the door and wielding her metal frying pan and spoon proceeded to wake Chris. Chris shot out of bed like a canon. The expression on his face was enough to send Ara into peals of laughter, but then his sheet dropped and Ara realized that she had made a mistake. Now it was Chris' turn to chuckle at the expression on Ara's face, which was slowly turning beet red.

Chris stood before her in only his boxers, his hair sleep rumpled and his scruff a bit scruffy than usual. Ara knew it was polite to look away but she couldn't bring herself to. After a few more moments Chris cleared his throat, "Like what you see?"

Beginning to realize that she had better move or she was going to pass out, Ara turned tail and made to bolt from Chris' trailer. However he progress was impeded by a rather massive form entering the space. Chef ran into the trailer ecstatic, going on about a great idea he had about the upcoming challenge. He stopped talking when he felt the little form slam into him. Ara looked up at Chef her face still red as ever. Chef looked from Ara back at the barely clad Chris and grinned and the stepped aside to allow Ara to continue on in her speedy exit.

"I see your starting early." Chef commented as he waited for Chris to change into more presentable clothing.

"Do you think it's a good or bad sign that she bolted?" Chris asked his giant friend.

"Dunno man. That one is a rather difficult read." Chef was shaking his head now, smirking down at his boss who seemed to have picked the most unpredictable girl on the island.

Chris grinned, returning the frying pan and spoon that had dropped from Ara's hands to the kitchenette.

"A beautiful mystery."

&^((&^*)(*^&

Chris could see her disappearing over the hill behind the cabins. That was toward the river he observed. She seemed to love the water, since she was constantly migrating in that direction. Ara had been avoiding him like the plague since that mornings "incident". She was such a mystery to him. One day she was finding the greatest pleasure in tracking him down and tackling him to the ground, the next bolting from his trailer like she had been burned. It was not helping Chris determine how he was fairing in winner her over.

Chef appeared before Chris with his water gun that had been specially rigged by the props crew. Chris grinned at the big man who smirked right back. "I think we've given them plenty of time, don't you?" Chef said as he pumped up the gun. Chris nodded and gave him the go ahead. "Happy Hunting." The ultimate tracker began his man hunt. Chris went off in search of the more stealth challenged campers, laughing as they struggled to find a good spot. It was no surprise that he was able to locate Lindsay over three different times, and Chris was certain it would be no time at all before she was caught. Izzie was demonstrating her almost eerie sense of a person's movements by exactly imitating Chef's every move. Chris nodded approvingly.

Many of the campers were caught and soaked with little trouble. Heather, being her usual mean self, was taking down other without a second thought. Chef was a seemed upset that his chance to soak heather's victims had been snatched from him. The big man approached Chris. "I think your little lady took to the trees or the water. I've completely lost her trail." Chef admitted begrudgingly. Chris gave chef a sympathetic look trying to contain his amusement.

"You should see her move through the woods. She's like air, hardly even noticing the trees." Chris remember back to the treasure key challenge and how frighteningly accurate Ara's movements through the trees had been. He hadn't had a change in hell of outrunning her and he knew she would be just as challenging to pursue as she was to flee from.

"Uh huh…well I'm going to look for the other ones. I'll deal with her later, I have all day. Heh heh heh." Chef laughed evilly as he went off in search of the more elusive campers. Chris, curious as to exactly where Ara had managed to disappear off to, he head toward the production trailer to see if he could find her through the footage.

&^((&^*)(*^&

Ara lounged behind the falls in the little alcove she had found. The water's spray was cool and refreshing after her mad dash to the river. She had taken care to not leave prints in the sand on the banks, jumping directly from the trees to the water and then wading up stream till she had found what she was looking for her. She knew how chef would be tracking the campers down and detection could be easily avoided. She cast a glance around her hideaway. It really was the perfect place for concealment. The alcove was around the size of a large closet and far enough back from the rushing water to keep the inside only slightly damp. At the back was an upward incline of rocks that led to the top of the falls, a perfect escape if she was by some chance discovered.

Ara rolled over onto her back, her hands supporting her head, and drew her legs up to stretch and wiggle her toes. It was approaching an hour since the game had begun and her legs were beginning to fall asleep. She hoped Chris would call the olly olly oxen free soon. She was getting hungry and bored. Ara blushed at the thought of Chris searching for her. She still had the image of him burned into her skull and she didn't believe it would wear off any time soon. He had been most handsome and Ara blushed a deeper crimson as she allowed herself to indulge deeper into visions of Chris, disheveled and barely clothed. She felt down right scandalous, thing such things. She was not a prude by any means, but she had never much cared to indulge in daydreams of a less than innocent nature. Chris had capture and kept her attention since there encounter by the pools. Eye's closed, Ara thought only of how much she wished she could kiss him again.

"You seem to be enjoying a lovely daydream."

Ara shot up like a bolt. Chris was grinning at her from his position above her. The object of her daydreams being presented before her caused a deeper blush to form across her features until Chris was sure she was going to faint. He could see as her eyes narrowed slightly, doubtless that she was irritated that she had become distracted by her thoughts and let him sneak up on her. She must have been dug pretty deep into her thoughts to miss his less than stealthy approach. He grinned.

"What were you thing about Ara dear?" he asked, snickering with delight at the embarrassed blush now marring Ara's lovely face. She looked away from him, trying to hide her reddened cheeks.

"Nothing…" she replied offhandedly, purposely looking anywhere but at him. Chris moved to right above her face leaning down over her, effectively blocking her escape.

"Come on Ara dear, you can tell me."

Her breath caught in her throat. He seemed to be getting closer and closer, his lips grinning at her and making it difficult to focus on anything else. If she didn't know any better, Chris was going to kiss her…and she wanted him to.

&^((&^*)(*^&

Sorry, I just had to stop it there. I was getting way to excited with my self and I needed to stop and collect my thoughts. This will be finished, even if my updates are 1 year apart (like this one XD) Again, if you see any awful errors please let me know. And the M rating is still being debated...

LayLay :)


	8. At Last

**(Insert dramatic music here) Another chapter? You mean the author didn't die? No she didn't folks, I am happy to report. **

**Here you go another chapter. I am not as happy with it, but the writer's block was beginning to become to much since I really liked how it started, but could not finish it for the life of me. But hey, it hasn't been an entire year right? Right? I'm just going to let you read now...**

**Me no own Total Drama Island**

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**At Last **

"You know you can stop me at any time dear." He said, but wanting desperately to just take her up and kiss her senseless. Ara didn't move away so he slowly moved even closer till finally he could feel her quick breaths hitting his lips.

To Chris' surprise and utter delight Ara closed the remaining space between them and gave him a timid kiss. Chris, needing no other invitation, took Ara into his arms and kissed her properly. She tasted sweet like honey and was so warm to hold he thought he might keel over from the excellence of the experience. She was most definitely new to the act of kissing, but Ara was not one to ignore the challenge that Chris' lips presented. She grew bolder against him and he had to adjust to keep up with her. Her arms were now securely wrapped around his neck, not allowing him a moment's reprieve.

Chris sat back against the wall of the alcove and hauled Ara into his lap; enjoying the squeak she let slip and then again hungrily claiming her lips again. He could not get enough of her. She was intoxicating to him and fit perfectly against him making him wish nothing was separating them. That's when he realized.

He slowed his passionate advance and Ara groaned in disapproval. "I'm sorry dear but we should stop." Chris reasoned through the fog that had clouded his mind. There was a challenge still in progress and others would doubtless notice their absence and come looking for them. Ara reluctantly agreed with him pulling away from his lips but refusing to release his neck. She chose to bury her face into his shoulder and breathe in the musky scent of him, sighing in contentment. Chris was inwardly bouncing of the walls with happiness. He had Ara in his arms snuggled in deeply and apparently enjoying the fact that she was there. She had even been upset about having to stop kissing him, which he took as a good sign.

After letting the heat of the moment they had shared pass, Chris suggested that they head back to camp before it got too late and the others came looking. The walk back was calm and enjoyable, Ara holding his hand and watching the world around them with her beautiful smile displayed broadly across her face. Once they got near the camp, Chris stopped them to give Ara one last lingering kiss. Then she was off into the woods on the outskirts of the cabins. They had no idea whether the challenge had been called or not and Ara was not taking any chances of losing.

Chris continued on over to the docks where Chef was still looking for Lashawna, who apparently had picked an excellent hiding spot and Ara as well. Chef gave him a curious look asking where he had disappeared off to.

"Oh just enjoying a nice walk through the woods." Chris, whose innocent smile and openly happy face wasn't fooling anyone, replied to his co-worker. Chef merely shook his head rolling his eyes to the sky. "How many campers are left, big man?"

"Just Lashawna and Ara. They both seem to have vanished, I've looked everywhere." He paused and thought for a second. Then realization lit his features. "The water." Chef raced toward the dock, but his efforts would be in vain. There sat Lashawna and Ara on the lifeguard chair, both looking very pleased with themselves.

Chef, being man enough to admit when he had been beaten, nodded to the girls as they were cheered on by the other campers. All of them that was except for Heather and Christine. Both girls folded their arms across their chests and huffed. Christine, being her usual nosy self, had taken the opportunity to slip unnoticed next to Chris. He didn't even pay her the slightest mind, his attention seemingly fixed elsewhere.

She cleared throat and swished her hair back vying for his attention. Chris finally seemed to notice her and reluctantly gave her his attention.

"So Chris, you disappeared for a bit. I was hoping we could spend some time together. Some alone time. Just the two of us." Christine said in her most flirty voice trying her hardest to entice Chris. Chris' face took on one of disbelief and discomfort. This chick was a little scary.

His reply was one of obvious disinterest. "Yeaaaaah Nooo." And with that he made as much distance between himself and the deluded cheerleader. She huffed angrily and let out an enraged shriek as she saw that he had run off to talk to that stupid little Ara girl. Christine hated how much Chris liked spending time with that girl instead of her. She was obviously prettier then Ara and way more into Chris then Ara could ever be. The agitated cheerleader growled to herself walking back to the camp, thinking of ways to grab Chris' attention away from the other girl.

Little did Christine know that Ara and Chris were much more involved than she thought and if she had known she probably would have screamed. Interestingly, enough while Christine was aggravated beyond reason with the host and the girl getting chummy, the boys were silently high-fiving on a plan well laid. Even in front of the cameras where they could not behave as they so desperately wanted, Chris and Ara still gave off that vibe of totally invested between one another.

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Lashawna watched as Chris swooped down and went into full host mode, announcing the end of the challenge and the winners. He congratulated them both and told the other campers he would see their sorry butts at the campfire ceremony. The other campers had gathered on the dock to celebrate the two girls beating Chef, but quickly dispersed when Bridget introduced herself to the party. They ran in every direction scattering quickly and efficiently.

"Aw come on guys," the surfer whined, "it's not that bad is it?" the poor girl looked so down. Ara, who was watching from the safety of the girls cabin tried to offer some comfort, but was not about to go back near her.

"Of course, not dear. A nice hot shower and a good scrubbing and you'll be right as rain." The blonde smiled at Ara and asked her if she would mind tossing out her bathroom supplies so she could avoid bringing the smell into the cabin. Lashawna, having heard from inside, quickly hand out the items stating the quicker the girl got clean the better. As soon as Bridget was off to the showers, Ara retreated into the cool of the cabin where she found that she and Lashawna were alone. Apparently the other girls had opted to run to the dining hall to escape the smell.

Ara contemplated telling her friend what had transpired earlier between her and Chris. She really wanted to tell someone and she figured who better than her best friend on the island. She went over to Lashawna's bunk, where the girl was lounging peacefully, reading a magazine. Ara climbed onto the mattress at the foot of the bed, leaning her back up against the wall. Instead of jumping headlong into the conversation, Ara opted to silently daydream with her eyes closed. She remembered how warm Chris had been and how strong his arms had felt around her. And his kisses. The thought of his kisses made her toes curl and a goofy lovesick grin stretch across her lips.

"What?" Lashawna startled her with her spontaneous question.

"Hmm?"

"Don't you hmm me, girl. What is with that lovesick goofy grin your sportin'?" the vivacious teen put down her magazine and twisted her expression into one of stern curiosity. She was clearly telling the girl before her that an answer was what she expected.

Ara took a deep breath. "I kissed Chris." Lashawna's eyes widened to saucers.

"Repeatedly." The black girl's jaw hit the floor.

"While sitting in his lap, behind a secret waterfall." By now Ara was a proper shade of crimson and Lashawna had managed to pick her jaw up off the floor. She was now grinning like a cat at Ara, way to mischievous for the girls own comfort.

"And pray tell, was it nice?" Ara's goofy grin returned as she buried her face into a pillow giggling to herself uncontrollably. Lashawna watched with a smirk and then patted the girls head as she continued to gush into the pillow. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

As soon as Ara was able to regain her composer, she relayed to Lashawna the details of her moment with the host. She seemed happier than Lashawna had ever seen her. And despite her reservation about how the relationship between the sadistic host and this sweet girl was going to work out, Lashawna was excited for her.

"But we have to keep this between us, Okay?" the pleading look in the girls eyes would have convinced an army. "Christine would most definitely flip her shit if she found out." Lashawna agreed with that statement alright. The cheerleader was just downright nasty all things considered and she had a particular interest in the host to be sure.

"You got it, sugar doll. My lips are sealed." And with a locking motion on her right cheek, Ara grinned at her best friend, relieved to get to share with someone what she was feeling.

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**And there you have it. Sorry that it is kinda short, but like I said I just really wanted to get this done. I kinda know how I want to end the story, it's just getting there that's the hard part. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter at least, and as always, reviews are lovely!**

**LayLay :)**


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